Coniothyrium minitans for use against moss growth

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to the use of Coniothyrium minitans for controlling moss growth and to a method of controlling moss growth, comprising applying Coniothyrium minitans to an area to be kept free from mosses.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/736,448, filed Dec. 14, 2017, which is a 35 U.S.C. § 371national phase entry of International Application No. PCT/EP2016/064968,filed Jun. 28, 2016, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119 ofEuropean Patent Application No. 15174941.3, filed Jul. 2, 2015, theentire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Moss growth is in a number of places considered to be a nuisance and inmany places unwelcome, for example on turfed areas or on trees and onasphalted or cobbled ground or otherwise paved ground and on the roofsof houses.

Methods for controlling moss growth include physical removal andchemical treatment or a combination of these methods. Chemical methods,in particular, frequently have side effects such as, for example, damageto other plants, staining, corrosion or pollution of the air and/orwater (Davison and Byther, 1999; Algae, Lichens and Mosses on Plants.Pacific Northwest Plant Disease Control Handbook. p. 39). Moreover, theefficacy of many herbicides against mosses has not been studiedthoroughly. Finally, the safety regulations to be adhered to also makethe handling, dosing and storing of chemical products more complex.

The fungus Coniothyrium minitans was identified firstly in 1947 and canbe found in soils worldwide. It attacks sclerotia (overwinteringstructures or survival structures) of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum andSclerotinia minor, other Sclerotinia species and Sclerotium cepivorumand destroys them. These plant pathogens have a range of host plants,especially including useful plants, where they cause considerabledamage.

In view of the possibilities for controlling moss, which are notoptimal, and the intended reduction of water and air pollution byherbicides, alternative and less harmful methods for controlling mossesshould be found.

SUMMARY

This technical problem is solved by the present invention as defined inthe claims.

The present invention relates to the use of Coniothyrium minitans forcontrolling or preventing moss growth, for example in crops of usefulplants or in places such as paved places where moss growth is undesired.

Coniothyrium minitans has as yet only been known as a biologicalfungicide which acts against Sclerotinia species. In the context of thepresent invention, however, it has been found that the fungus alsoinhibits moss growth and/or causes existing moss to die. It is to benoted that the effect can indeed be attributed to the fungus and not,for example, to the presence of formulation aids (see example).

In accordance with the invention, all strains belonging to the speciesConiothyrium minitans can be used which have moss-growth-inhibiting ormoss-controlling properties.

An especially preferred strain of Coniothyrium minitans is CON/M/91-08(described in WO 96/21358), which has been deposited at the DeutscheSammlung für Mikroorganismen and Zellkulturen in Braunschweig under theaccession number DSM 9660. The strain is used as biological plantprotection agent against the fungi Sclerotinia sclerotiorum andSclerotinia minor, which are causative organisms of white mould, and iscommercially available under the trade name CONTANS®.

Coniothyrium minitans strain CON/M/91-08, like other Coniothyriumminitans strains, may be cultured as described for example in WO96/21358, which is herewith incorporated by reference. For example,Coniothyrium minitans can be cultured on suitable substrates such as,for example, seeds of cereals, bran, straw or other plant matter, orelse with the aid of agar culture medium conventionally used in fungalculture, for example potato dextrose agar or malt peptone agar, or onsuitable support materials to which a culture medium has been added; andalso in liquid nutrient media without the use of agar.

Usually, the strain is formulated on a carrier, preferably awater-soluble sugar carrier. The water-soluble carrier is preferablyglucose or dextrose.

Besides Coniothyrium minitans CON/M/91-08, mutants of this strain whichhave the same properties in respect of moss growth as CON/M/91-08 arealso encompassed.

Mosses are green terrestrial plants which can be divided into hornworts,liverworts and Bryophyta. Coniothyrium minitans is active against mossesin general, but in particular against Bryophyta such as, for example,haircap mosses.

Mosses sometimes grow in places where useful plants or ornamentals arebeing grown. To be mentioned here in particular is turf as found inparks, golf courses, sports grounds or in gardens. Turf is alsofrequently sold as turf rolls or turf sods, likewise susceptible to mossgrowth.

Other places where moss growth is undesired are certain areas or places,including paved areas or places, such as, for example, tiled, cobbled orasphalted areas, where mosses colonize joints or undesired gaps.

In a preferred embodiment, spores of Coniothyrium minitans are used.

Spores formed by Coniothyrium minitans are conidia (asexually formedspores), which are formed in pycnidia and are also referred to aspycnidiospores or pycnospores.

In a further preferred embodiment, the use takes place on turf.

In a further preferred embodiment, the use according to the inventiontakes place in gardens, parks, sport grounds, terraces, pavements andotherwise plant-free places.

In yet another preferred embodiment, the use takes place in combinationwith at least one herbicide which is preferably active against mosses.

In a further preferred embodiment, the herbicide is selected from thegroup consisting of dodecyldimethylammonium chloride, ACN(2-amino-3-chloro-1,4-naphtoquinone), carfentrazone-ethyl, lauroylmethyl-[beta]-alanine-sodium, ferrous ammonium sulphate, copperhydroxide, mancozeb, propineb, oxadiazone, formaldehyde andchlorothalonil.

In a further especially preferred embodiment, the use according to theinvention takes place with at least one herbicide, simultaneously oralternatingly.

In a preferred embodiment, the application rate is between 2 and 2000kg/ha. Preferred ranges comprise an application rate of betweenapproximately 10 and approximately 500 kg/ha, furthermore preferredbetween approximately 20 and 200 kg/ha, for example 30, 40, 50, 100 or150 kg/ha.

In a further preferred embodiment, the spore concentration in theformulation applied is between 1×10⁸ and 1×10¹⁰/g.

The spores may be present in a concentration of between about 1×10⁷ andabout 1×10¹⁵ spores/g carrier, preferably between about 1×10⁸ and about1×10¹³ spores/g carrier. The most preferred concentration is betweenabout 1×10⁸ and about 1×10¹⁰ spores/g carrier, for example about 1×10⁹spores/g carrier.

In another preferred embodiment, the use according to the invention ispreventive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a method of controllingmosses, comprising applying Coniothyrium minitans to an area to be keptfree from mosses, such as, for example, a crop of useful plants orplaces such as paved places.

To describe the preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention,those of the first aspect of the invention may be used.

In a preferred embodiment, Coniothyrium minitans strain CON/M/91-08 isused.

In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention,spores of Coniothyrium minitans are used.

In a further preferred embodiment, the application takes place ontoand/or into the soil or the area to be treated.

In a further preferred embodiment the application is effected on turf.

In a further preferred embodiment, the method according to the inventionis applied in gardens, parks, sports grounds, terraces, pavements andotherwise plant-free places.

In a further preferred embodiment, the application of Coniothyriumminitans takes place in combination with at least one herbicide which isactive against mosses.

In an especially preferred embodiment, the herbicide is selected fromthe group consisting of dodecyldimethylammonium chloride, ACN(2-amino-3-chloro-1,4-naphtoquinone), carfentrazone-ethyl, lauroylmethyl-[beta]-alanine-sodium, ferrous ammonium sulphate, copperhydroxide, mancozeb, propineb, oxadiazone, formaldehyde andchlorothalonil.

In a further especially preferred embodiment, the application ofConiothyrium minitans and at least one herbicide takes placesimultaneously or alternatingly.

In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, theapplication rate is between 2 and 2000 kg/ha.

In a further preferred embodiment, the spore concentration in theformulation applied is between 1×10⁷ and 1×10¹⁰/g.

In another preferred embodiment, the method according to the inventionis preventive.

The examples which follow describe the invention in non-limiting form.

EXAMPLES Example 1: Drench Test

The test was carried out under greenhouse conditions.

120 mL of a mixture of steamed field soil and sand (1:1) was filled intotransparent cylindrical vessels 5.5 cm in size.

The test formulation, the product CONTANS®, comprising 1×10⁹ spores ofthe strain Coniothyrium minitans CON/M/91-08, was dissolved in water anddiluted with water to the desired concentrations. 20 mL of the made-upsolutions were pipetted onto the soil in the vessels.

The vessels were covered with a transparent lid.

The vessels remained in the greenhouse for the next 19 weeks, at 15° C.and at natural light conditions. The lids were opened slightly afterapproximately 2 weeks, and the soil was watered every 3 weeks and keptmoist.

The evaluation was effected by estimating, per vessel, the soil surfacearea which had in the meantime been covered by growth, predominantlyhaircup moss growth. 0% means an efficacy which corresponds to that ofthe untreated control, while an efficacy of 100% means that no mossgrowth was discernible.

In this test, the following formulations display an efficacy of up to100% at a dose of 200 kg/ha (see Table 1).

TABLE 1 Concentration Efficacy % Control  0* CONTANS ®**   2 kg/ha =0.024 mg/mL 50 CONTANS ®**  20 kg/ha = 0.24 mg/mL 38 CONTANS ®** 200kg/ha = 2.4 mg/mL 100  Glucose 200 kg/ha = 2.4 mg/mL 13 DDAC-C10*** 6.25kg/ha = 20 μL/mL  100  *Moss growth: 80% of area **Coniothyrium minitansCON/M/91-08; 5 × 10⁸ viable spores/g ***Didecyldimethylammonium chloridewith alkyl chain length C10

The Coniothyrium minitans spores used are bound to glucose. To rule outa potential effect of glucose on the moss growth, an experiment withglucose was carried out, and this experiment shows that the effectcannot be attributed to the glucose.

I claim:
 1. A method of controlling moss growth on turf, consisting ofapplying Coniothyrium minitans and a carrier to the turf, wherein theapplying causes existing moss to die.
 2. The method according to claim1, wherein spores of Coniothyrium minitans are used.
 3. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the application takes place onto turffound in a park, golf course, sports ground or garden.
 4. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the application is effected on a turf rollor turf sod.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein theConiothyrium minitans is applied in a formulation comprising betweenabout 1×10⁷ and about 1×10¹⁵ spores Coniothyrium minitans per gram offormulation, and the formulation application rate is between 2 and 2000kg/ha.
 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the formulationcomprises between 1×10⁷ and 1×10¹⁰ spores Coniothyrium minitans per gramof formulation.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein theConiothyrium minitans is Coniothyrium minitans CON/M/91-08 withAccession Number DSM9660 or a mutant thereof having the same propertiesin respect of moss growth.
 8. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe Coniothyrium minitans is formulated on the carrier.
 9. The methodaccording to claim 8, wherein the carrier is a water-soluble sugarcarrier.
 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the carrier isglucose or dextrose.
 11. The method according to claim 8, wherein theConiothyrium minitans is formulated as spores on the carrier at aconcentration of between about 1×10⁷ and about 1×10¹⁵ spores/g carrier.12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the Coniothyrium minitansis formulated as spores on the carrier at a concentration of betweenabout 1×10⁸ and about 1×10¹³ spores/g carrier.
 13. The method accordingto claim 11, wherein the Coniothyrium minitans is formulated as sporeson the carrier at a concentration of between about 1×10⁸ and about1×10¹⁰ spores/g carrier.
 14. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe Coniothyrium minitans is applied as a drench.
 15. The methodaccording to claim 14, wherein the carrier is water.